


Lengthening Shadows

by SecretEve95



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fireside Confessions, Hicsqueak, Mistletoe, The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2019, holiday singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:46:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21773917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretEve95/pseuds/SecretEve95
Summary: “Ah, Miss Pentangle!” Miss Cackle exclaimed as she entered the foyer. “I wasn’t expecting you until later this afternoon.”“What can I say? The thought of being greeted by Miss Hardbroom and her wonderful smile spurred my broomstick on.”Giggles erupted immediately from the girls that had congregated in the foyer. Miss Hardbroom’s eyes widened with fury and her mouth tensed into an impossibly thin line. She stood ramrod straight and flexed her hands by her sides. Her perilous glare swept over the young witches and they fell silent.
Relationships: Hardbroom/Pentangle (Worst Witch), Mildred Hubble & Indigo Moon
Comments: 13
Kudos: 80
Collections: The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2019





	1. Chapter 1

The final choir practice of the term had almost drawn to a close. Miss Bat praised the large group of girls for the progress they had made thus far. She then went on to express her delight at the prospect of showcasing their talents at the end of term feast before promptly dismissing them. A cacophony of chatter erupted as the girls dispersed from the great hall. Mildred and Indigo broke apart from Maud and Enid to join the line of choir-goers headed for the playground. They rounded the corner into the school foyer and discovered the front doors to be blocked by Miss Hardbroom who was in the process of greeting a witch clad in pink. Indigo observed the mystery visitor with apt curiosity. The gaggle of girls loitered around the scene and listened without being contested. 

“Well met,” Miss Hardbroom gestured and bowed rigidly in return. “To what do we owe this unexpected visit?”

The deputy headmistress straightened her posture and folded her arms easily over her chest. The other witch countered this with a warm smile. 

“Well, as you know, Pentangles is a private witching school and so our term tends to finish up week earlier tha-,” She cut her explanation short as a result of Miss Hardbroom’s powerful glower of disapproval.

“Anyway, I put aside this week for administrative tasks. One of those tasks is to organise the details of the Spelling Bee against Cackle’s next term,” She paused. “Ada mentioned to me on the mirror how very proud and excited Cackle’s is of the chanting choir Miss Bat has put together this year - and that they’ll be performing at the end of term feast. Naturally, Ada suggested that I come along for the festivities and we discuss the Spelling Bee in person.”

“Naturally.” Miss Hardbroom drawled.

“Who is that?” Indigo whispered as she elbowed Mildred.

In that same moment Felicity appeared by her side clutching her Maglite to her chest. 

“That’s Miss Pentangle.” Felicity said dreamily. She detected a lull in conversation between the teachers and used the opportunity to approach. “Excuse me, Miss Pentangle. Could I please interview you for ‘The Daily Bubble’?”

“Of course you can, darling.” Pippa addressed the young witch kindly. She placed her hand on Felicity’s shoulder affectionately. 

“Ah, Miss Pentangle!” Miss Cackle exclaimed as she entered the foyer. “I wasn’t expecting you until later this afternoon.” 

“What can I say? The thought of being greeted by Miss Hardbroom and her wonderful smile spurred my broomstick on.” 

Giggles erupted immediately from the girls that had congregated in the foyer. Miss Hardbroom’s eyes widened with fury and her mouth tensed into an impossibly thin line. She stood ramrod straight and flexed her hands by her sides. Her perilous glare swept over the young witches and they fell silent. 

“Do let’s have some tea in my office.” Miss Cackle said in a kind tone. 

“That sounds wonderful,” Miss Pentangle turned back to Felicity. “I’ll catch up with you soon, dear.” 

“Hecate.” Ada continued in acknowledgment of her colleague. 

The two headmistresses exited the foyer together. Miss Hardbroom was left standing alone and her eyes followed them keenly as they withdrew. During her departure Mildred caught Miss Pentangle’s eye. She waved and flashed her a warm smile. 

That night the school filed in merrily to the great hall. Holiday decorations lined the walls and the fireplaces were alive and crackling. The students scrambled to take their places at the tables and get the best seats next to their friends. Indigo settled herself on a bench near to the familiar faces of Mildred, Maud, Enid, Sybil, Beatrice, Clarice and Mabel. School and holiday spirit were at an all-time high and the hype hung tangibly in the air. With a wave of her hand, Miss Cackle caused a table and chairs to appear at the back of the hall and the teachers took their seats. Indigo observed her surroundings and noted that both Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle were nowhere to be seen. 

Once the chatter of the school had died down to a murmur, Miss Bat made her way to the front of the hall and invited the choir to the stage. Indigo and her friends happily found their places in the rows of girls onstage. Miss Hardbroom appeared and strode the length of the hall in front of the tables. As she did so her eyes roamed dangerously over the seated students and they fell silent. Her bootsteps echoed as she began to make her way along the perimeter of the hall. From her vantage point, Indigo watched with interest as Miss Hardbroom came to stand beside Miss Pentangle who was now present. With a sidelong glance, Miss Pentangle took a step closer to Miss Hardbroom. They now stood side by side with their shoulders touching. Being so far away Indigo could have easily been mistaken, but she thought she saw a small smile grace Miss Hardbroom’s lips. 

Miss Bat conducted her choir through three holiday themed songs. The girls sang with enthusiasm and vigour to a delighted audience. As their final notes resounded through the hall, the school clapped and cheered and rose to their feet, which in turn inspired one more fourth and final song that thrusted the energy in the room to new heights. When the crowd’s uproar simmered, Miss Bat took the opportunity to express her pride to the girls over their performance. Indigo and Mildred put their arms around each other’s shoulders and grinned in response. The choir returned to their seats. 

Following this, Miss Cackle ascended the stairs to the stage and addressed her school. Her speech was long and arduous and succeeded in quelling the festive discourse that had erupted earlier. She praised the girls for their efforts and achievements this term, and thanked the teachers for their hard work. She conducted the school in a rendition of the school song. And then, finally, it was time to eat. 

The kitchen witches appeared and quickly took their places behind tables on the stage, ready to serve the dishes they had cooked. The school waited patiently as the teachers were served first and then table by table the girls rose to line up a fill their plates. Indigo and Mildred returned to their table with full plates. They, along with everyone else, were very pleased to be served an assortment of roast meats and vegetables. The girls dug in. Their table was silent for several minutes as their friends followed suit. Soon their chatter reignited as everyone commented on their delicious meal. 

“Sybil, Clarice, Mabel and I have been in the kitchens all afternoon helping Miss Tapioca and the other kitchen witches prepare for the feast.” Beatrice informed them in a cheery manner. Mabel was quick to inject a snarky remark.

“This is the only decent meal that the kitchen has produced all year.” 

Suddenly Miss Tapioca appeared on the opposite side of the table and startled Sybil and Clarice. She wore an irritable expression and was carrying a large pot of mashed potatoes and a ladle. 

“There are a lot of people out there who don’t have any food to eat, Mabel – and I can arrange for you to be one of them!” 

She deposited a helping of mashed potato onto Sybil and Clarice’s plates without consent and strode away. Mabel rolled her eyes. Indigo and Mildred eyed each other and tried not to laugh. 

Soon enough Indigo and those around her had finished their dinners and the evening was sluggishly drawing to a close. The end of term feast had turned into such a lovely occasion and she felt a little sad that it was almost over. Without consciously meaning to, Indigo looked over at the teachers table. She found Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle to be seated next to each other at one end. They were talking. She observed as Miss Pentangle smiled and affectionately placed her hand on Miss Hardbroom’s forearm that was resting beside her plate. The young witch continued to watch as Miss Pentangle turned her attention away to join the conversation between the teachers and her hand remained in place. Her scrutiny intensified as Miss Hardbroom’s gaze appeared to linger on Miss Pentangle. 

“What are you looking at?” Mildred quipped. 

“Nothing.”

Indigo swivelled her head back and her eyes settled upon her empty plate. It was too late. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Mildred had located the source that had piqued her interest. After a long moment, her friend turned her attention back. Indigo crossed her arms over her middle to cradle the sudden weight that had begun to swirl in her chest. Her mind was fizzing and bubbling with thought. She was grateful for Mildred’s silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Mildred and Indigo arrived back in their shared room. The girls crossed the threshold and unceremoniously deposited themselves onto their beds. The excitement of the evening had given way to fatigue and they had opted not to change into their pyjamas straight away. Their eyelids were heavy as they reclined and stretched out their limbs. The night air felt cold against their skin after the warmth of the great hall. A natural silence enveloped the girls as their minds began to wander off into the night. Mildred hooked back onto a thought that had been flitting in and out of her mind for the past few weeks. 

This would be the final night that she and her friend would spend occupying the same space, as next term Indigo would be moving into a room of her very own. Mildred had come to find that she had grown used to the constant companionship and did not yearn for her own company as much as she had initially presumed. She cherished the smile and gentle cajoling that Indigo would wake her with each morning, and she found great comfort at night when she would lie awake listening to Indigo’s slow and even breathing. More precious to her still were the memories of a particular handful of nights. When the temperature had well and truly plummeted and transformed the castle into an icy tundra, Indigo had climbed into her bed and they had wrapped themselves up in each other. 

In turn, this caused Mildred to begin to consider Indigo’s interest in Miss Hardbroom. It had always been there – some days more than others; even, Mildred found herself having to admit, before Indigo had discovered Miss Hardbroom’s true identity to be ‘Joy’. Indigo had always been open to talking about Joy and the days they’d spent together, the adventures they’d taken themselves on. But over time, Mildred had discovered that the more she nudged or prodded her friend for more details, the cagier she had become. She had witnessed the spark in Indigo’s eyes when she looked at Miss Hardbroom, and the flares of longing that caught her off guard when her looks transformed into long stares. An unushered secret was always simmering between the two young witches. She imagined it would be terribly painful for Indigo to have to hold on to and hide away her feelings day after day – a reality with which Mildred was all too familiar with. Indigo awakened her from her reverie with a question. 

“Where’s Tabby?” 

Mildred shot up in bed and looked about the room. She discovered Indigo to be lazily stroking Star who was curled up next to her on the bed – she did not see Tabby. She got up and looked under her bed, and then under her desk and Indigo’s bed. She noticed the door of her cupboard to be ajar, and she searched there too. Tabby was nowhere to be found. 

“He’s not here.” 

“Where could he be?” Indigo reluctantly swung her feet to the floor and sat up. She stifled a yawn. 

“He must have seen a mouse and ran away,” Mildred’s eyebrows knitted together in concern. “The leaving ceremony is first thing tomorrow, and by then everybody’s luggage and familiars need to be packed and ready to go. There won’t be time to search for him in the morning, and we can’t just wait for him to turn up.”

“We need to find him.” Indigo affirmed. 

Their search began in the kitchens where they were told by a weary Miss Tapioca that she had not seen Tabby. In the same breath she informed them that if she did see him there was a good chance that he would end up as a key ingredient of a stew. With a casual flick of her wrist she magically caused a stack of dirty dinnerplates to whiz through the air into the kitchen sink. Soapy water sloshed out onto the tiled floor and a sponge began to clean the plates of its own accord. The head kitchen witch had one final threat up her sleeve. 

“Now, back to bed both of you - before I decide to inform Miss Hardbroom of your whereabouts.” 

After half an hour of fruitless searching the girls found themselves wandering dark corridors. They had exhausted all of Tabby’s usual haunts within the castle. Mildred was carrying a lantern in front of her to illuminate their way. Having been involved in so many scrapes and misdeeds in the past, the girls had learned to tread lightly about the castle at night lest the sound of their bootsteps attract unwanted attention. 

“We’ll get up early tomorrow,” Indigo paused and let out a yawn. “and go to the potions lab when Miss Hardbroom is probably still asleep. We can make a potion to cast a locating spell and find Tabby.” 

“That’s a good plan, Indi,” Dismay crept into Mildred’s voice. “I just wish I knew that he was safe.” 

Indigo nodded in empathy and moved to put her arm around her friend’s shoulder as they walked. She found it difficult to see Mildred even a little distressed or in pain. She began to try and think of ways to distract or cheer her friend up. She was gripped by a mischievous idea as a result. Indigo reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out a palm sized sprig of mistletoe that had been part of the decorations adorning the great hall. Indigo squeezed Mildred against her playfully and brought them to a halt. With a smile she held the mistletoe above their heads. Her tone was both kind and teasing when she spoke. 

“I think you owe me a kiss.” 

The young witch looked up and saw the mistletoe. She grinned and her eyes lowered to meet Indigo’s. Mildred leaned over and kissed her friend on the cheek. She hoped that Indigo felt her sincerity within the silliness of the moment. As the two young witches pulled apart they heard muted voices and the unmistakable sound of bootsteps against the stone floor. 

“Quick, hide!” Indigo hissed. The sudden exasperation caused the sprig of mistletoe to slip through her fingers onto the ground. 

Mildred looked up and down the short and dimly lit corridor in panic. She identified a classroom that had long fallen into disuse. It was shrouded in complete darkness. She could barely make out the outline of the doorframe, but she knew from memory that it was there. She grabbed Indigo by the arm, and they hurled themselves through the darkness towards it. The girls found the door to be widely ajar and they hurriedly crossed the threshold into the room. The door squeaked in protest as she went to nudge it closed. The girls stilled it immediately and Mildred extinguished her lantern. Instead, Mildred concealed her body behind the door and Indigo concealed hers behind the adjacent wall. They both peaked their heads out of the doorway satisfied that the darkness would provide them with little fear of detection for the time being. 

Indigo and Mildred’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. They could make out the outline of each other’s faces in the gloom. Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle rounded the corner into the corridor. A floating lantern accompanied them. A harsh murmur belonging to Miss Hardbroom bounced off the walls and grew louder as they approached. The girls looked at each other with the understanding that they were trapped until the teachers traversed the corridor and moved on. 

Miss Pentangle reached her arm out in front of the potions mistress in order to bring them to a halt. Miss Hardbroom raised her eyebrows and turned to face her companion. From their hidden vantage point Mildred and Indigo now had an unobstructed view of the teachers. They held their breath in fear of discovery and observed the scene with curiosity. Miss Pentangle took a deep breath in, and then began to speak with care. 

“Let’s not argue with each other.” 

Miss Hardbroom opened her mouth raring to respond. It was then that she saw something in Miss Pentangle’s eyes that made her falter. 

“I can agree to disagree, Hecate.”

The potions mistress relented and gave a curt nod. 

Mildred observed as Indigo buried her face in her hands for a long moment. Her face emerged harbouring an expression of both pain and resolution. She lowered her hands and made a slow and complex movement in the air. Mildred watched on in alarm with the fear that a failed spell, or any spell at all, would cause their detection. It was then that the sprig of mistletoe that Indigo had dropped in the corridor sprang to life and started growing and multiplying at a magical rate. From its resting place on the floor it snaked its way up the nearest wall. It made a beeline along the ceiling before it dropped down and sprung into full bloom over the heads of the two teachers.

The mistletoe tickled Miss Hardbroom’s head and ceased its growth. Both witches looked up. A sincere smile that touched her eyes lit up Miss Pentangle’s face. She began to chuckle with earnest. On the other hand, this astounding peculiarity caused Miss Hardbroom’s eyes to widen in alarm. With the aid of the floating lantern, her perceptive gaze traced the mistletoe back to its source. This caused her eyebrows to knit together in confusion. Her investigation was terminated when Miss Pentangle commanded her attention with a few words. 

“Come here, dear Hecate.” she said in a warm tone. Miss Pentangle gently placed her hands on Miss Hardbroom’s shoulders, and kissed her on the cheek with great care. As she withdrew she slowed and seemed to hesitate, before tenderly placing a chaste kiss upon her lips. Colour rose and tinged Miss Hardbroom’s cheeks as Miss Pentangle squeezed her shoulders affectionately and offered her a small smile. She let go. The blonde witch promptly turned to resume their path down the corridor. 

Miss Hardbroom looked over her shoulder and scanned her surroundings to check and confirm her privacy. Her keen eyes could not see past the glare of her lantern and thus did not spot the girls hiding further away in the cloak of darkness. In this same moment, Miss Pentangle had taken a couple of footsteps before registering that her companion hadn’t fallen in step with her. As she turned back, Miss Hardbroom took a step forward and reached out her hand. She grasped the blonde witch by the forearm and coaxed her back. 

Miss Pentangle’s expression of surprise melted away as she looked into Miss Hardbroom’s beseeching brown eyes. Mildred and Indigo felt a kind of electricity spark to life in the air that surrounded them. They watched on as the two witches united. The potions mistress raised her hands to stroke and gently cup Miss Pentangle’s face. The blonde witch’s eyes fluttered in response and she wrapped her arms around Miss Hardbroom’s waist; her hands gently caressing her companion’s back. The teachers stayed suspended in this moment. The energy around them was heavy and palpable.

After an age, Miss Pentangle drew closer and pressed her lips tenderly to Miss Hardbroom’s. She responded with unbridled vigour. Kiss after feverish kiss followed as Miss Hardbroom’s hardened resolve finally came tumbling down. 

Mildred and Indigo stepped out from their concealment to stand shoulder to shoulder in the darkness of the doorway. Mildred’s eyes widened, and she suddenly felt warm all over. The young witch could feel her heart beating in her chest and hear it thudding in her ears. After a moment, she gathered her bearings and peered over at Indigo. Her eyes were shining in the dim light with unshed tears. She could see Indigo digging her nails into her palms in an attempt to quell her emotions. Mildred reached for Indigo’s hand. She uncurled her tight fist and held her hand firmly in her own. Indigo’s pained expression did not change, and her gaze remained unwaveringly on the two witches as they embraced. 

“We should go.” Mildred whispered very softly. 

Mildred pulled her by the hand, and Indigo let herself be guided away from the doorway into the dark belly of the classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Mildred was woken by a sudden and frightening pressure on her chest. She shot bolt upright in alarm sending Tabby hurtling ungracefully to the ground. He landed easily and unscathed. Tabby regarded her with a judgemental stare before stalking over to his empty food bowl and meowing. Upon seeing her familiar she let out a breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding. Mildred stretched her arms and got out of bed. She crossed the room to gently close her bedroom door that she had purposefully left ajar in hope of Tabby’s return. Mildred promptly retrieved and opened a small tin of sardines from a stash in her drawer. She deposited the contents into Tabby’s food bowl, and he began to devour them eagerly. 

Through all of this Indigo remained sound asleep. Mildred reclined back onto her bed and spent a long moment listening to her friend’s slow and even breaths. She was glad that Indigo was still asleep. She didn’t want her friend to wake up and remember the scene they had witnessed the night before. She didn’t want Indigo to be reclaimed by the pain that it had caused her. Last night they had returned to their room in silence. Once they had crossed the threshold, Indigo had let go of her hand. After they had changed into their pyjamas and climbed into their beds Mildred had gently probed her in concern for her wellbeing. In response Indigo had rolled over in her bed so as not to face her. Mildred had fallen asleep listening to muffled sobs. 

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open to reveal the wide awake and animated faces of Enid and Maud. Enid ran and jumped onto Indigo’s bed. Inspired by the excitement, Star flitted about room and barked loudly. 

“Good morning!” they chorused, each sporting a mischievous grin. 

“Oh my hat!” Indigo said good naturedly as she pulled the covers up over her head. Enid yanked them back down again and carolled the reason for her exhilaration. 

“It’s the last day of term. By this time tomorrow there’ll be no more boring classes.”

“No more strict revision timetables.” said Maud. 

“No more detentions.” chimed in Mildred. 

“No more homework!” 

“We still have homework over the break, Enid.”

“No more getting up early.” Indigo contributed. 

Maud was sitting side by side with Mildred. She put her arms around her friend affectionately and spoke in a suddenly melancholic tone. 

“But saying goodbye to each other never gets any easier.”

Mildred returned the sidelong hug. 

Before long the four friends had all packed their belongings ready to go, dressed, and eaten breakfast. The leaving ceremony was due to begin and they were making their way to the great hall. Maud and Enid were swept up in their enthusiasm and quizzing their friends about their holiday plans as Indigo had been invited to stay at Mildred’s for the break. Indigo had a faraway look in her eyes and was not an active participant in the conversation. Mildred adopted a lively persona to cover for her friend’s withdrawn behaviour. As they rounded the corner into the final corridor that would lead them to the great hall they were intercepted by Miss Cackle. The headmistress beckoned for Enid and Maud to continue on their way, and they did so with a shrug. 

“Ah, Mildred and Indigo. I’m glad that I found you before the leaving ceremony began. I’m afraid I have some news to share with you that you may not be pleased to hear,” she paused and cleared her throat. “I have received a magic mirror message from your mother, Mildred. She informed me that she has been visiting your Aunty Mo and was due to return home in time to greet you and Indigo later today. However a terrible storm that heralded gale force winds caused damage to the area that your aunt lives in. Your mother and aunt – and your aunt’s property, for that matter – are completely safe. But this has meant that the train your mother was scheduled to return on isn’t operating today. Your mother has been informed that the debris disrupting the train line will be cleared by the end of today. She will be on the train tonight and returning home tomorrow morning.”

“Is it possible for my mum to be transferred home?”

“I’m afraid not, Mildred. The residual electricity in the air from last nights storm would put her at risk. Second to that, your Aunty Mo lives quite a significant distance away and this would add to the already present danger. You and Indigo will have to spend another night here with us, I’m afraid.”

Mildred’s eyebrows shot up in surprise in response to this new piece of information. 

“Oh, no need, Miss Cackle. I’m sure that Indi and I will be completely fine by ourselves until Mum gets back. I have a spare set of ke-,”

“Be that as it may, your mother has expressed her wish for you and Indigo to remain here where she knows that you are both safe. And I am inclined to grant it.”

Miss Cackle peered down at the two girls intently through her spectacles. Her kind tone of voice was crisp with finality and Mildred and Indigo knew that it would be futile to argue any further. 

The girls took their seats in their form lines. The great hall buzzed with chatter that quickly dissipated to a low hum as Miss Cackle traversed the isle between the seated students and ascended the stage. After having drawled out a great many platitudes and well wishes, the headmistress finally buckled down to the business of prizegiving. To nobody’s great surprise Ethel took out most the achievement awards for their form. Maud was delighted when her name was called out as the recipient of the ‘Award for Team Spirit’. Applause broke out as she accepted her certificate onstage and Enid, Mildred and Indigo rose to their feet and cheered. 

When the leaving ceremony ended the students were instructed to exit the great hall in their form lines in an orderly manner. They quickly fell into disorganisation as the girls were gripped by a flux of holiday spirit. Miss Hardbroom was standing beyond the great hall in the entrance hall directing the traffic flow of students and decreeing reminders in regular intervals about not forgetting personal items and the importance of completing homework tasks over the holidays. Mildred noticed that there seemed to be a lighter quality to Miss Hardbroom that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She joined the bustle of students eager to exit the castle or fight against tide to retrieve a forgotten item. In the moments that were available to her to observe Miss Hardbroom she could only conclude that the potions mistress seemed somewhat less stoic and severe than usual.

After saying a tearful goodbye to Enid and Maud, Mildred and Indigo watched from a window as the remaining flurry of students said their goodbyes to their friends, mounted their broomsticks, and flew away home. High in the sky, all of the student’s thick black cloaks flapped in the wind, and they filled the sky like a cloud of bats. Mildred’s mind wandered to reflect upon the events of the morning. She had noticed that when Indigo smiled it didn’t touch her eyes. She didn’t spark up conversations and she wasn’t as quick to laugh. Indigo had sat stock still for most of the leaving ceremony instead of fidgeting in her seat as she normally would have. When it came time to say goodbye to the other girls her hugs weren’t as enthusiastic or drawn out as usual. 

The afternoon came and went for the only two girls left in the castle. Mildred granted Indigo some space whilst still checking in with her every now and again. She passed the time by calling her mother on the magic mirror. She took Star outside for a while. He leaped and bounded around on the frozen ground completely caught up in his own amusement and curiosity before he grew too cold and began to shiver. With Tabby perched on her lap she read through the potions homework Miss Hardbroom was expecting her to complete. She decided to put it aside for another day and picked up a novel instead. In the late afternoon Miss Cackle came to check in on the two young witches. She invited them to her office for a cup of tea and some biscuits, and they accepted. 

That night the castle felt almost like a stranger. The stillness and quiet was a little unnerving. Indigo and Mildred were busying themselves in the school kitchens preparing a plate of sandwiches to share for dinner. Mildred led the way as they each carried a cup of tea and Indigo balanced the plate in her free hand. They decided to settle in the empty great hall. With a controlled wave of her hand Mildred caused a fire to flare to life in one of the fireplaces. She then summoned a rug and some cushions from another area of the castle and arranged them neatly by the fire. The two friends settled themselves down comfortably and ate. 

With full stomachs they reclined and rested their heads on the pillows, their feet to the fire. For a long while the only sound to be heard was the cracking of the logs as they burned and split in the fireplace. Mildred craned her head to speak to Indigo. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened last night?” 

The young witch received a steely silence in response. She tentatively tried again. 

“It hurts to keep things locked inside. We could talk… or I could just listen.”

Indigo closed her eyes for a long moment. She opened them and let out a slow and heavy sigh. “I just want her to be happy,” she began cautiously. “Joy - Miss Hardbroom; whoever she is now. For her to be safe. For her to feel loved… I don’t think you understand how close Joy and I were – how important we were to each other.”

“I think I do.” Mildred spoke in a delicate tone. She reached her hand out to place a gentle touch upon her friend’s forearm. She wasn’t met with any opposition, so she let her hand remain there. 

Indigo turn to meet Mildred’s gaze. She saw something in her eyes that told her that she understood. She returned her friend’s touch briefly. When she said no more, Mildred continued to speak. 

“It looks as though Miss Hardbroom could feel safe and loved with Miss Pentangle. You saw that at the end of term feast – maybe before,” she considered her next words carefully. “I don’t think it’s right to interfere in relationships between others. But on the other hand, Indi, what you did was selfless and kind... Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle may have already been a couple privately – we just don’t know. Or, you may have given them the push that they needed to come together.”

A moment of silence passed. Tears stung Indigo’s eyes as she was confronted by both the depth and truth of Mildred’s insight. 

“It’s okay to miss her, Indi,” she implored. “It’s okay to look at her now and still want to be close to her.”

“Is it?” 

“It is.” Mildred affirmed. 

Silence. 

“I look at her as she is now, and I feel the way I used to feel when I looked at Joy,” Indigo’s voice quavered. “But she’s older, so much older – old enough to be my mum… having feelings for her sets me apart from everybody else. It isn’t normal, to feel that way. I look at her as she is now, and I’m so embarrassed – it makes me want to hide.”

Mildred squeezed her friend’s forearm affectionately and moved to hold Indigo’s hand instead. A moment passed in silence. 

“I don’t know what the answer is, Indi. But you’ve got me. I’m here to care, to listen, to hold you. And if you need some extra looking after, I don’t mind sharing my mum with you when we go home. She cares about you, too. I know it,” Mildred paused in thought. “My mum and I can’t replace Joy, or make up for your own mum not being here, and we don’t have any influence over Miss Hardbroom – but we are here with you. You’re not alone.” 

Mildred coaxed Indigo closer by the hand and held her arms open. Indigo settled against her friend with her head resting upon Mildred’s chest. She listened to Mildred’s strong heartbeat and felt the steady rise and fall of her chest. She allowed herself to be held and felt soothed as Mildred’s hand gently stroked her back. 

“I’m so tired, Milly.” she whispered. 

“You’re strong. And you can get through this.”

“I trust you,” Indigo said sincerely. “But for now, it just hurts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas from Australia on a 41*C day in a city blanketed by smoke haze.


End file.
